Printing chase



April 22, 1952 Filed March 5, 1948 c. L. LANCE 2,593,575

PRINTING CHASE 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 20 I Z 37% e f 'z n v o 32 4/ 9 4 m A mi5 L4 Liz &

3mm Ch esfer L Lance (ltlomeya April 22, 1952 c. LANCE PRINTING CHASE 2SHEETS-SHEET 2 Filed March 5, 1948 INVENTOR. C/7es2er L. Lance ATTORNEYSPatented Apr. 22, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 9 Claims. (Cl.101-393) This invention relates to new and useful improvements inprinting chases.

In making up a printing chase, considerable blocking of furniture isnecessary because of the use of cuts, type forms, boxes, borders and thelike. To position these elements properly, it has been customary in manyinstances to use crossbars having their ends dovetailed in the innerfaces of the chase frame. However, such dovetailing required precisionfitting which made the bars difficult to place and remove and did notprovide any play or flexibility, or compensate for wear.

One object of the invention is to provide an improved printing chasehaving crossbars and connecting bars seated in the inner faces of thechase frame so as to be easily placed in and removed from the frame andnot requiring a precision fit, and difiic-ult application.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved chase whereinthe crossbars are provided with looking members at their ends adapted toengage in recesses in the inner faces of the chase frame and movable soas to lock the bars in the frame or release said bars from the frame,whereby the bars maybe readily and quickly posisioned, locked orunlocked, and wear of the parts compensated, thus assuring at all timesa choice of positions and securely locked barsr A further object of theinvention is to provid connecting bars each having one end seated in aface of the frame and the opposite end seated in the side of a crossbarand provided with means, whereby sufficient elongation or longitudinalspring is given the connecting bar to permit it to be freely placed andremoved when the crossbar is unlocked, and to be tightened when saidcrossbar is locked in place.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an improved chasewherein the frame is provided with looking recesses and the crossbarshave movable locking members at their end provided with Wedge tenons orlugs adapted to wedge in the recesses and securely lock the bars in theframe when the members are moved to locking positions, thus making forready and tight looking of the bars and easy removal thereof.

A construction designed to carry out the invention' will be hereinafterdescribed together with other features of the invention.

The invention will be more readily understood from a reading of thefollowing specification and by reference to the accompanying drawings,wherein an example of the invention is shown, and wherein:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a printing chase constructed in accordance withthe invention,

Fig. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of one end of one ofthe crossbars,

Fig. 3 is an isometrical view of the end and side of the bar shown inFig. 2,

Fig. 4 is a view, similar to Fig. 2, of the opposite end of the bar,

Figs. 5 and 6 are perspective views of the lock detents used at oppositeends of a crossbar,

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of one of the gear 7 bars, and

Fig. 8 is a perspective View of one of the keys used to operate the gearbar.

In the drawings, the numeral l0 designates a printing chase frame whichis of the usual construction except for recesses l l in the inner sidefaces I2 and recesses l3 in the inner bottom face M of said frame. Eachrecess has a rightangular seat [5 at one end and a chamfer H5 at itsopposite end. The recess may be referred to as a mortise or mortiserecess of the dovetail type.

Coacting with the recesses are crossbar l1 and connecting bars I8 atright angles thereto. The crossbar has recesses I9 like the recesses [3,both of which recesses may be slightly shorter than the recesses I l.Referring to Fig. 1, the recesses l3 are in the bottom of the frame andit is desirable to have the chamfers [6 of the recesses II at the bottomthereof and the chamfers of the recesses l3 and I9 at the same endsthereof. It is to be understood that a plurality of both bars may beused.

The bar I! is notched out at the upper corner of each end to formright-angular shoulders 20 which engage the seats l5 when the ends ofthe bars are placed in the recesses I i. Detents 2| and 22 respectively,are pivoted in grooves 23 at each end of the bar, said grooves beingrectangular in cross section and cut in the underside of said bar. Theinner end 24 of each groove is substantially semi-cylindrical in shapeand the inner end 25 of each detent is rounded to conform to the ends24, but is spaced therefrom to permit a free vertical swing on atransverse pin 26, mounted in the side walls of the groove. The outerends of the grooves are open and the detents, which are generallyrectangular in cross section, terminate substantially flush with the endfaces of the bar.

The difierence in construction of the detents 2| and 22, which will behereinafter fully described, is for the purpose of using a commonoperator which when turned in the same direction at each end of the bar,will wedge the detents in 3 the recesses II and lock the bar I! in theframe. For this purpose a quoin key 21, as shown in Fig. 8, may be used.

Longitudinal channels 23 extend inwardly in the bar I! and each has aportion open to the underlying groove 23. In cross section each channelis partially circular with a flat bottom and a complementary gear bar 29is mounted to slide freely in each channel. Near its outer end each gearbar has a depending boss 39 with its bottom 3! inclined. The detent 2|,which is at the right-hand end of the bar H (Fig. 1) has a wedge face32, inclined upwardly. to its outer end; while the detent 22 has a wedgeface 33 inclined downwardly to its outer end, both faces being on thetops of the detents. The bottoms 3| of the bosses 30 are inclined at thesame angle as the faces 32 and 33, so that said bosses will ride on thefaces and depress the detents, when the bars 29 are moved in the properdirections.

The detents, being pivoted in the grooves 23 near their inner ends, havea limited vertical swing. At the outer end of each detent a dependingtenon or log 34, is formed. Each tenon has its outer face flush with theend of the detent and is formed with a chamfer 35, disposed at the sameangle as the chamfers I6 of the recesses I i. The bars 253 are eachprovided with rounded gear teeth 36 on their undersides at their innerportions. A keyway 31 extends transversely through the crossbar ii, ateach end portion thereof, adjacent the end 24 of the groove 23' forreceiving the quoin key 21. The key has longitudinal gear teeth 38disposed therearound to mesh with the teeth 33. By inserting the key inone of the keyways and rotating it, the gear bars 29 may be slidinwardly or outwardly.

In placing the crossbar ll in the chase frame It, the key 21 is employedto slide the bars 29 to the left, being rotated in the same directionfor both detents. The compositor grasps the bar in both hands and withhis fingers pulls the detents into the grooves 23 and places the ends ofsaid bar in the recesses l i so that the shoulders ZG-engage the seats15 at the upper ends of the recesses H. The tenons Stwill lie loosely insaid recesses;

The compositor now inserts the key 21 in the keyway 31 at the right-handend (Fig. 1) of the bar 51 and rotates it in a clockwise direction,whereby the gear bar 29 is slid outwardly and the boss 39 is caused toride outwardly on the face 32 of the detent 2!. This wedging actioncauses the chamfer 35 of the tenon to tightly engage the chamfer lfi ofthe recess, whereby the right-hand end of the crossbar is locked in thechase frame. To lock the left-hand end (Fig. 1) of the bar in the frame,the compositor inserts the key 27 in the other keyway 3'! and byrotating it in a clockwise direction, the bar 29 is slid inwardly, andsince the boss 39 rides up the face 33, the detent 22 will be depressed.Owing to the loose fits of the bar ends in the recesses ll, considerablelateral play of the crossbar is had. This not only makes for easy andready placing and removal, but permits limited shifting or canting ofthe bar to compensate for irregularities, in chase frames due to misuse,age and the like.

The connecting bars 18 each have integral tenons or lugs 39 at theirends, conforming to the contours of the recesses l3 and 19, but engagingloosely therein. Adjacent the tenon at one end,- the upper end in Fig.1, the connecting bar ha's' ari aperture 40 therethrough and a kerf orslot 4|, inclined outwardly therefrom to the edge of the bar and towardsaid tenon. This structure provides sufficient spring, whereby the tenonis resiliently connected to the bar. The connecting bars are placed inthe frame before the crossbar is tightened, so that when said crossbaris tightened and shifted upwardly, the connecting bars will be tensionedand thus held tightly in place. t is pointed out these shifting andtensioning movements are only minute fractions of an inch, but they aresuflicient to accomplish the desired result.

The detents 2! and 22 and the bars 29 may be referred to, generally, aslocks and the bars 1'1 and I8, designated as locked in the frame; or theelements as, 30, 2! and 22, may be called locks for the tenons 343.

The pluralities of recesses provided permit the crossbar and theconnecting bars to be variously positioned so as to enclose areas ofdifferent shapes and/or sizes within the chase frame. Thus, provision ismade for accommodating printing forms of various sizes and shapeswithout necessitating extensive and hazardous blocking material.

The foregoing description of the invention is explanatory thereof andvarious changes in the size, shape and materials, as well as in thedetails of the illustrated construction may be made, within the scope ofthe appended claims, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A printing chase including, a chase frame having recesses in itsinner face, each recess having a right-angular seat at one end and achamfer at its opposite end, a cross bar having shoulders at each endengaging the seats of the frame recesses, detents pivoted at the ends ofthe bar having tenons engaging the chamfers of the frame recesses, andmovable elements in the bar engaging the detents and depressing them.

.2. A printing chase including, a rectangular chase frame having mortiserecesses along its inner faces, each recess of the frame having a rightangular seat at one end and a chamfer at its opposite end, a crossbarhaving its ends engaging in opposite recesses and also having at eachend a right-angular shoulder engaging the right angular seat in eachrecess and the inner face of the frame, pivoted elongate detentshaving'inclined faces and mounted in the ends of the crossbar havingchamfered tenons adapted to engage the chamfers of the recesses, andbars slidable in the ends of the crossbar and having means slidable onthe inclined faces of the detents displacing said detents when slid tofasten the tenons in looking engagement with the chamfers of therecesses.

3. A printing chase as set forth in claim 2, wherein the detents areeach pivoted transversely in the crossbar and are swingable laterallythereof, whereby the tenons may be swung into and out of'engagement withthe chamfers of the recesses.

4. A printing chase as set forth in claim 2, wherein the bars areslidable longitudinally of the crossbar and each bar has a boss on itsfree end engaging the accompanying inclined faces of a detent to swingeach detent when moved inwardly therealong.

5. A printing chase as set forth in claim 2, wherein the bars areslidable longitudinally in the ends of the crossbar and each bar has aboss on its free end engaging one of the inclined faces of the detentsand gear teeth at its opposite end,

the crossbar having openings exposing.=,eome of the gear teeth for thereception of an operator for engaging said teeth and moving the barslongitudinally.

6. A printing chase as set forth in claim 2, wherein the inclined faceof one detent is inclined downwardly from the outer end of said detentand the inclined face of the other detent is inclined upwardly from theouter end of said detent, each slidable bar having gear teeth exposed inthe end portions of the crossbar, and a rotatable actuating memberhaving teeth for successively engaging the gear teeth of the bars. thebars being moved in common inwardly or outwardly when the actuatingmember is successively engaged with the teeth thereof and retated in acommon direction.

7. A printing chase as set forth in claim 2, wherein a connecting bar isprovided in addition to the crossbar and the latter bar has intermediateits ends recesses each having a right angular seat at one end and achamfer at its 010- posite end and located opposite one of the re cessesof the frame for receiving the ends of the connecting bar, detentshaving inclined faces and mounted in the ends of the connecting barhaving chamfereol tenons engaging the chamfers of one of the crossbarrecesses and the opposed frame recess, and slidable bars in the ends ofthe connecting bar having means engaging the inclined faces of the lastnamed detents displacing said detents when slid to fasten the last namedtenons in locking engagement with chamfers of the crossbar recess andthe correlated frame recess.

8. A printing chase including, a rectangular chase frame having mortiserecesses along its inner faces, each recess of the frame having a rightangular seat at one end and a chamfer at its opposite end, a crossbarhaving shoulders at each end engaging the seats of the frame recesses,detents pivoted at their inner ends in the ends of the crossbar andhaving tenons on their outer ends adapted to engage the chamfers of therecesses, and elements movable longitudinally in the ends of thecrossbar and along the detents having projections engaging the detentsfor swinging the latter, whereby the tenons may be engaged with thechamfers at the ends of the recesses.

9. A printing chase as set forth in claim 8, and aconnecting bardisposed at right angles to the crossbar within the frame and havinglooking elements at its ends engaging the crossbar and the frame.

CHESTER L. LANCE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 50,650 Yeomans Oct. 14, 1805111,995 Warren Feb. 21, 1871 417,478 Ektrom Dec. 17, 1889 708,086Slauson Sept. 2, 1902 1,093,023 Alta Apr. 14, 1914. 1,167,084 LeethemJan. 4, 1916 1,489,965 Prentice Apr. 8, 1924 1,936,795 Lee Nov. 28, 19332,347,467 Diemer Apr. 25, 1944 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date330,770 Italy of 1935

